Peebles tops poll for new distillery site

Mark Entwistle

News that Peebles has topped a public poll to find a location in the Borders for a new whisky distillery has been welcomed.

R & B Distillers launched its ‘big question’ survey earlier this month and Peebles was announced as the winner this week, after garnering more votes than all the other possible sites put together.

The company is currently progressing a new distillery project on the Isle of Raasay and said the Borders distillery would follow on after that.

There are several projects now underway which hope to open the first distillery in the Borders for nearly 180 years.

A fortnight ago the Three Stills Company revealed it had secured funding of £10m to support a scheme for a distillery in Hawick, while last year, Mossburn Distillers unveiled plans for a £40m project south of Jedburgh.

R & B Distillers co-founder Alasdair Day has already revived a 100-year-old Coldstream blend of whisky using his great-grandfather’s recipe.

He told us: “Given that we already produce the Tweeddale Blend whisky, the fact that Peebles, the heart of Tweeddale, was chosen is very nice outcome of the poll.”

Commenting on the news, Borders MP Calum Kerr, who is also the SNP’s Lead Westminster Spokesperson on the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, told us: “It’s great to hear that the Borders is to get another distillery following on from the news just a few days ago that £10 million in funding has been secured to build a similar facility in Hawick.

“This means more investment and more jobs and will be a boost to the region’s economy. It also gives tourists another really good reason to visit this part of the world and helps to build our reputation for high quality natural products which represent the very best of Scotland and help promote us internationally.”